Special clinic for Punjabi-speaking donors

The gift of life

Canadian Blood Services is holding a Punjabi language blood donor clinic at the Chinguacousy Wellness Centre this Saturday (Dec. 29).
The clinic will run from 1 to 4 p.m. in the multi-purpose room and accredited language interpreters as well as volunteers fluent in English and Punjabi will be on hand to help guide Punjabi-speaking donors through the process. Organizers are hoping to collect 32 blood donations that day.
The special clinic is part of an attempt to increase the number of blood donors from Canada’s diverse multicultural communities. Currently, 20 per cent of Canadians identify themselves as from an ethnic minority group, but only seven per cent of the country’s 422,000 active blood donors are from ethnic minority groups, according to Canadian Blood Services.
Approximately 3.4 per cent of the population donates blood, but in the GTA, only 1.8 per cent donate, even though one in two Canadians is eligible.
Recruiting more donors from different ethnic backgrounds will help keep the country’s blood supply strong and sustainable, according to Canadian Blood Services. As the diverse population grows and the caucasian population continues to age, new blood donors must be found to replace those who become too old and unhealthy to donate in the next five to 10 years. Also, different ethnic groups have a higher prevalence of certain blood types, such as B-type blood in Asian populations, and can also possess rare blood types not found in the Caucasian population, according to Canadian Blood Services, so the needs of hospital patients are also changing and need to be met.
The Chinguacousy Wellness Centre is at 995 Peter Robertson Blvd., behind Brampton Civic Hospital at Bramalea Road and Bovaird Drive.
Healthy individuals can donate blood every 56 days, starting at the age of 17 years. First-time donors after the age of 61, or regular donors who want to continue donating after their 71st birthday, must consult their doctor for medical permission to donate. Donors must feel well and are required to have their personal identification at the time of donation. For more information about Saturday’s clinic, email karry.kwan@blood.ca.